The 16-month drugs probe into Essendon Football Club has climaxed following the issuing of a slew of show-cause notices for players by the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority.

Late on Thursday, Essendon players and their agents were being advised of ASADA's notification, in writing, of alleged anti-doping rule breaches.

Advice of the mass-delivery of show-cause notices to players came after close of business on Thursday.

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This followed a period of uncertainty on Thursday afternoon, when confusion surrounded the timing of the delivery of the notices.

A total of 34 notices have now been issued to players, querying the use of the peptide thymosin Beta 4.

It remains unclear whether show-cause notices have simulatneously been issued to Essendon officials involved in the doping probe, but this is expected.

The drug scandal relates to the club's supplements regime in 2012, conducted under coach James Hird, since suspended for a year by the AFL.

Essendon was disqualified by the AFL from the finals last season. These notices will throw its season into turmoil.

Fairfax Media was still trying to ascertain those 2012 players who have avoided show-cause notices on Thursday night. The club had 46 players on its senior and rookie lists in 2012, and have 29 players from 2012 - including rookies - on its list now. A number of players have left the club, including Angus Monfries, now at Port Adelaide, and Stuart Crameri, now at the Bulldogs. It is believed Monfries and Crameri have both received notices.

The use of prohibited substances carries a mandatory two-year ban under the World Anti-Doping Agency code, to which the AFL is a signatory sport.

Essendon has long argued that the players did not receive thymosin beta 4, and that they were given another substance, thymomodulin. The consent forms that were signed by Essendon players said only ''thymosin''. However, biochemist Shane Charter is on record that he supplied beta 4, sourced from China, to Dank in 2012.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan would not comment last night. The AFL and the AFL Players' Association, which is co-ordinating the legal defence of the players, will meet ASADA officials on Friday.

The Essendon footballers will have 10 days to respond before briefs of evidence are passed from ASADA to the Anti-Doping Rule Violation Panel (ADRVP) - the federal government-appointed group of experts that must review all significant anti-doping proceedings.

It is believed Essendon players were contacted by text message by ASADA, asking them whether they preferred the notices to be sent via email or the post and asking them to confirm their postal addresses.

The players are being represented by solicitor Tony Hargreaves and two members of the AFL Players' Association's legal counsel.

The issuing of show-cause notices does not in itself mean the NRL and AFL players will be suspended. It is a preliminary step towards taking action against athletes alleged to have violated doping rules. Players are then given the chance to argue why they should not be charged with an offence.

If they choose not to, or are unable to provide a satisfactory submission, they can then be placed on ASADA’s register of findings and be issued with infraction notices by their sport’s governing body on the orders of the watchdog’s anti-doping rule violation panel.

The entire process has been overseen by former Federal Court judge Garry Downes, who was enlisted by the federal minister for sport, Peter Dutton, to assist ASADA by reviewing the concluding stages of the nation's most extraordinary doping investigation.

Essendon released a statement late on Thursday night saying the club was not in a position to comment on the matter, and that chairman Paul Little would speak to the media on Friday afternoon.

"The club will continue to act in the best interest of its players and respect the integrity and confidentiality of this process," the statement read.

On Thursday afternoon, Little maintained that the issuing of show-cause notices by ASADA was "unlikely".

Under anti-doping legislation, the players - and any Essendon officials who are also served with show-cause notices - will not be named publicly unless they decide to identify themselves.

The preparation of the show-cause notices follows a complex and unprecedented investigation by the national anti-doping authority launched last February.

ASADA has said it has conducted more than 300 interviews and collected more than 150,000 documents in its probe.

Typically, players wanting to fight charges will argue - initially in writing to ASADA - why they should not be charged with the offences outlined by the anti-doping authority. That correspondence is then forwarded to the ADRVP, who makes the ruling about whether an athlete issued with a show-cause notice should be placed on ASADA's register of findings.

It is the entry on the register of findings that triggers the issuing of infraction notices - an action that must be carried out by the relevant sport, namely the AFL.

Stephen Dank, who helped design and oversee the supplements program at Essendon, was issued a show-cause notice that alleged he committed more than 34 anti-doping rule violations while he worked for Essendon and the Gold Coast Suns. Dank did not reply to his show-cause notices and told Fairfax Media this week that he had not received any notification to suggest he has been placed on ASADA's register of findings.

NRL officials are also bracing for the 18-month saga to be finally bought to a head, with rumours rife in recent days that 17 members of Cronulla's 2011 squad are set to receive show-cause notices.

Fairfax Media has been told players from another club may also be sent the show cause notices from ASADA.

Lawyers for the players say they have not received any correspondence from ASADA but were aware of the speculation swirling around in league circles.

Fairfax Media reported last month that five current and 12 former Sharks players were due to receive show-cause notices.

The latest developments follow the scheduling of an anti-doping tribunal hearing for former Penrith and Canberra winger Sandor Earl, who faces more than 30 alleged breaches covering both the use and trafficking of banned substances.

Earl has been told a hearing will be held in the last week of this month, the same week Cronulla's former trainer Trent Elkin will have his appeal heard against a two-year ban.

13 Jun
Any Essendon players found guilty of breaching anti-doping laws but are determined to have not had sufficient knowledge about what they were taking could have 75 per cent of the maximum penalty slashed.